Chapter 12
Lynn POV
After saying all that, he just sat there with an emotionless face,
"Okay," mumbled,
Okay? Was that it, that all he had to say.
"Okay? Aren't you going walk me through the—"
"Ms. Richmond not only did I solely told you to stay home today and didn't follow the instructions. You barged in here like you own the place...”
"I-I am sorry," I stuttered, that played out better in my head, that how out it just did,
"First, close my office door behind you unless you care to fill in your colleagues... Who should be working—" he said the last few lines a little too loud, glancing behind me.
Over my shoulders, I could Tanya and the gang spying on us, I stormed in without closing the door behind me. Fuck, they are going to annoy me all day, if not weeks trying to know what was the offer made to me by Jensen,
"Can you please close the door," he spoke again, "And have a seat, we have a lot to discuss,"
Saying nothing, I nodded before pressing my fingers on the door, slowly closing it,
"I am sorry," I muttered before you could say anything, I was too embarrassed to look him in the eye though,
"It's okay Lynn, we all have our days... I surely had a bad morning," I watch him as he poured bourbon into his coffee cup,
"I think you might have grabbed the wrong cup," I tried to make conversation, I ambled towards his desk, sitting in the chair across from his,
"You flatter me, Lynn, you’re telling me you know this trick? Whiskey in your coffee cup followed by a few slow sips, you know... To make it look as if I am drinking coffee," he brought the mug to his lips, and I willingly followed,
"No, I don't know, I don't drink at work,"
"Interesting," he mumbled, setting the cup down,
"So..." He added, "Why the change of heart?"
"Are you fucking serious? This is not a job interview, it's a hoax... Of course, I am in it for the money, aren't you?"
"I see... Lynn if I lose, you lose... You lose. If my father or my witch of a stepmother catches on to us, you get nothing, are we clear?"
"Crystal,"
"Good. Now I have to set down some ground rules, some you probably won't like, but just hear me out, okay?"
"Okay," I uttered.
"My father is a man filled with resources, things from your past can be thrown at you, and I don't want anything to take me by surprise,"
Chuckling, the wide smile slowly disappeared from my when I realized he wasn't joking,
"You are serious?"
"Unfortunately,"
"What's this? An interrogation?" I blurted out, I have trouble talking about my past because it was pretty fucked, it's not one I am proud of, but I guess talking about it won't hurt, or maybe it will, after al face l... I am opening old wounds and secrets...
"I don't know my parents, and after a while, I don't know if it's something I said or did, but foster parents didn’t want me either, so um," I swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.
"Okay, you don't have to talk about that. I’m so sorry, umm... Yeah, we can deal with that another time, okay?"
"Okay," I nodded, I was glad that he saw how hard it was to talk about my family or at least people who I taught was my family,
"Okay, so I will only run through the basics and we can run through the rest over dinner tonight, place of your choice?" He leaned back in his leather chair,
Dinner? What did he mean by dinner? Like a... Date? I was thinking about how inappropriate it sounds but aren't we pretending to date, so why not? I am not sure how more improper that could be,
"Umm," I pressed my lips together, thinking about that new place that opened a week ago, I don’t know if I should bring it up, but I have never been on a date, and yes I know how it sounds especially with everything that has been going on with Fred, but it true, I never went on a date, and finally I was and... It's not even real,
"Mr. Jensen—"
"Call me Shaquille,"
"Right," I played with the hem of my skirt,
"I don’t know, there are so many places, you know like that new place downtown..."
"Tibbiz," his face tighten,
"Yeah, but I wasn't suggesting that..."
"Tibbiz it is,"
"No, I am—"
"Lynn... It's okay, I will pick you up at 7, go home, relax, and prepare yourself for a lovely evening, we have a lot to talk about, trust me on that,"
"Well, I was thinking I was already here, I would work, you know pulse the others... They heard what I said, about the offer and they will ask questions,"
"Okay, how about if you be my temporary manager until I can find someone... It would be a part of the deal, plus it would explain why I would be transferring money to your account,"
"That's ridiculous... Me being manager, over Tanya and the rest, they are going nail me to a fucking cross when you aren't around,"
"I think it's the perfect cover, It would explain how we developed a romantic relationship, think about it,"
He was right, we did have several encounters before I knew he owned the place, then he popped up out of nowhere and I have been in and out of his office as I liked, and with Tanya and the others talking, it would be more believable,
"So, what you say?"
"Okay, but don’t tell them yet... Just give them a minute,"
"Lynn," he mumbled, "I understand if this is too much for you, I don’t want you to feel pressured into—"
"I am not feeling pressured, I just… they hate me, alright, and I don't know why."
"Okay. I get it, I just think that they should at least start assuming among themselves, so when the public finds out they can help back up our story,"
Actually, that made a lot of sense that it should have if we are to pretend that something is going on between us, we have to start with the people closest to us first,
"Okay," I muttered,
"I guess you can tell them, but don’t make me out to be more important than I am, I know these guys and they can detect bullshit from a mile away,"
"Alright," he stood up, "Let's tell them"
"Now?" I stood too, "No. I mean, can it wait for a minute or two? We have been in here for a while, and for us to walk out there together will look suspicious,” I whispered.
"I think what you meant was if we go out there together they are going to think we are fucking and just did a quickie... Or was it," he stared down at his watch,
"It over twenty minutes, so yeah. They are definitely speculating if we are fucking or not."
"See, more reasons to no announced it now,"
"Why not? Is that the goal of what we are doing here?"
Right, I agreed to be his fake girlfriend, but I didn’t think about the other parts of this agreement, we have to also pretend to be doing the nasty, wait a minute... Does that also mean we have to kiss in public,
"You okay?"
"Yeah," I mumbled, "Yeah I am."
"Okay, go out there, act normal... And I will take of a speech later, maybe lunchtime, okay?" She back down "Yeah, I would really appreciate that, just let me wrap my head around everything first,"
"Sure, have a productive day Lynn,"
"Same to you Shaquille," I twisted the doorknob.
The others were assisting potential customers, so they didn’t see when I left Jensen's office, but of course, when the customer left, they raise hell,
"So," Floyd corner me, "Things didn’t work out with Mr. B so now you're going after the boss himself, I mean... I don’t blame you, why fuck with the middleman when you can have the boss,"
I wanted to defend myself, I want to scream on top of my lungs that I was never involved with Mr. B, I wanted to tell everyone he is a thief, and I am helping out Jensen, but I couldn't, I didn’t want to open my mouth and say the wrongs things that affect Jensen's plan,
"Leave her alone," I heard a small squeaky come to my defense,
Susan.
"Or else what—"
"May I have your attention please," Jensen came out and spoke,
No, not yet I thought, it's not time.
"I am proud to announce that after thinking heavily on your performance, and tabs Mr. Brown kept on each of you. Ms. Richmond will be taking the place of Mr. Brown or Mr. B as you all called him... As the new manager," he spoke, our eyes locked longer than it should, but my phone rang.
Dipping into my pocket for it, my lips parted when I saw the caller id, it was the same strange number,
"Hello," I brought it to my ear,
"Who the fuck is this?"